Policymakers have recently tinkered with length of day and number of years in kindergarten. They might better institute curriculum changes recognizing that five year olds have different learning habits than older children. The key is providing developmentally and individually appropriate learning environments for all kindergarten children. A…

The dilemma of what to do with children who do not progress "normally" is not new, and did not arise because educators grew too timid to uphold academic standards. The problem is an unavoidable consequence of compulsory education. Advantages of social promotion still outweigh difficulties. Deterioration of school standards cannot be blamed on…

Discusses the use of educational media in compulsory schooling in Europe and focuses on teacher's needs for new competencies in using educational multimedia. Topics include constructivism, situated learning and multiple intelligence; literacy, multimedia competence and the Fiks model (pedagogic/principles of learning, didactics/organization, ICT…

Suggests that if educators and parents both looked more to the interests of the child, the concept of 'child' would be revised, as would the concept of 'self.' Explains that in the classroom, children are forced to behave as adults would have them behave, rather than learning in modes that reflect a child's natural behaviors. (NB)

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international study coordinated by governments of participating countries, through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In 2000, a total of 265,000 students from 32 countries took part in PISA. The main aim of PISA is to assess how well 15-year-old…

This paper estimates the effect of a state-imposed curriculum mandate on the academic achievement of US public school students. By 1998, 14 states across the US had mandates that high school students should take an economics course. For these states, the proportions of public schools students taking high school economics was around twice that of…

Despite any international declarations to the contrary, basic education comes in practice to be conveniently regarded by governments as being synonymous with the level of schooling that the State stipulates is free and compulsory. Thus the operational definition of basic education is quite variable internationally and often does not include…

This article focuses on a historical series of education acts that impacted on education in Rhodesia. These Acts are the: (1) 1899 Education Ordinance; (2) 1903 Education Ordinance; (3) 1907 Education Ordinance; (4) 1929 Department of Native Development Act; (5) 1930 Compulsory Education Act; (6) 1959 African Education Act; (7) 1973 Education Act;…

On September 10, 2006, Teachers' Day was marked for the twentieth time in China. On this day, this journal's reporters congratulated teachers and at the same time conducted a number of investigations among teachers nationwide over the Internet, to find out what issues are of the biggest concern to them. The seventy-plus issues listed in this…

Balanced allocation of fundamental education teachers is one of the most important ways to achieve the highest quality of compulsory education. It also guarantees an accelerated achievement of a balanced development of fundamental education. In poverty-stricken areas of ethnic minorities, unbalanced teacher allocation is a major factor that…

Christian knowledge used to be taught in the Norwegian state school as a compulsory subject for members of Lutheran churches. In 1997 this was replaced by a subject that is compulsory for all pupils, where both Christianity, other religions and secular world views are taught on an equal basis, although more time should be used on Christianity than…

China's education system has grown increasingly complex, creating the need for an annual critical review of the education system by China's top scholars. The "Blue Book of Education," as it is known in Chinese, has gained a reputation for offering the most penetrating perspective in China on educational reform and development. In this…

This book fills in the gaps in the research of nationality, regarding "national education" in its double meaning: compulsory national education for all and creating opportunities for fostering national consciousness. Studies in the field have emphasized the importance of a national language, compulsory education, curricula of the…

There are great movements of people taking place around the world and our societies are becoming more diverse and multiethnic in nature, especially in the urban environments of the larger cities. In most countries, schools still represent the "status quo" and most principals are from the "majority culture". There is little…

Some educators have suggested that compulsory attendance legislation should be eliminated or that the number of required years be reduced. They assert that some students cannot be successful in school and others lack the willingness to learn. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the effect of student attendance and grades. The…